Today's political TL; DR -

Utah Republicans hit back hard at former White House strategist Steve Bannon after he attacked Mitt Romney over his Mormon faith [Utah Policy].

Mitt Romney speaks on the phone with President Donald Trump after Trump reportedly urged Sen. Orrin Hatch to run for another term in 2018 to block Romney from entering the race [Utah Policy].

A Utah County employee has accused County Commissioner Greg Graves of sexual harassment. Other commissioners have called on Graves to resign in the wake of the accusations [Daily Herald, Deseret News, Tribune].

Several groups, including outdoor giant Patagonia, are suing President Donald Trump for his decision to slash the size of two national monuments in Utah [Tribune].

The number of homeless people in Utah jumps slightly from last year, but overall the number is down from 2010 [Daily Herald].

A report from a government watchdog group says some Utah lawmakers sponsored legislation that directly benefitted their employer [Deseret News].

San Juan County officials are worried that white voters could be discriminated against under proposed boundaries for county commission and school board [Tribune].

The Utah Transit Authority is blaming Operation Rio Grande for a drop in ridership numbers [Tribune].

National headlines:

Republican leaders are confident they can find the votes to pass a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the week [Politico].

Republicans could settle for a smaller corporate tax rate cut as they try to secure votes for their tax reform plan [Politico].

Senate Democrats call on Sen. Al Franken to resign after more women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct [Washington Post].

The Middle East is bracing for violent protests after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel [NBC News].

The State Department issued a "worldwide caution" for U.S. citizens traveling abroad following President Trump's announcement about Israel. The last time the State Department made this move was following the Iraq war [State Department].

Donald Trump Jr. cited attorney-client privilege to avoid telling Congressional investigators about a conversation he had with his father about a meeting he had with Russians in Trump tower during the 2016 campaign [Politico].

A whistleblower says former national security adviser Michael Flynn told a business associate that U.S. sanctions on Russia would be "ripped up" once President Trump was in the White House [NBC News].

Republicans are ramping up their attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI to try and discredit the Russia investigation [Washington Post].

Lawmakers in the House overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to impeach President Donald Trump. Just 58 Democrats voted for the measure [Politico].

The House passed a bill to dramatically expand gun rights [New York Times].

A producer for ABC news has been reprimanded for giving President Donald Trump's campaign exit polling data on election day [Politico].

Utah lawmakers clap back at Bannon after he trashes Romney
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon blasted Mitt Romney's decision to go on a Mormon mission instead of serving in the military. The reaction from prominent Utah Republicans was swift and savage....

Romney speaks with Trump
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Mitt Romney had a phone call with President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning to discuss Trump's actions on public lands in Utah and next year's US Senate race....

Weekly survey: Trump's national monument changes
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
On Monday, President Donald Trump pulled federal protection from millions of acres of public lands in Utah and altered the borders of two national monuments. In response, environmental and other groups are prepping lawsuits against the move. What do you think will be the ult...

WTC Utah awards 38 STEP grants to Utah companies
World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) recently awarded funding to 38 Utah companies as part of the State Trade Expansion Program. STEP is managed by WTC Utah and funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration. ...